1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to connection devices for portable assemblies. More specifically, the present invention is primarily intended as a coupling connection and portable assembly for use with stand-alone and supported structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
The assemblage of portable structures and the like serve an important purpose in modem life. For years now, the portable structures have found usage in many fields, including but not limited to camping, ranching, farming, gardening, and recreating. These portable structures have included fences, tents, awnings, walls, swimming pools, and so forth.
In an age of advances, a premium has been laid on portability and durability of these different structures. In particular, the importance of simple, strong, and durable connections cannot be overstated. The structure is only as good as the strength of its parts and their connections. While manufacturers have improved materials, artisans have sought to prepare and produce strong, lighter, and more durable portable structures, such as the awning and the tent. Moreover, different connections and connectors have been presented, used, and improved upon in the attempt to meet the needs of the purchasing public.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,425 discloses a Portable Apparatus For Providing Shelter Adjacent A Motor Vehicle. This apparatus includes a collapsible frame assembly having a collapsible main frame assembly and leg mechanism. At least one clamp assembly securely attaches the main frame assembly to at least a portion of a motor vehicle and the main assembly supports a main cover. The vehicle""s mass and stability provide structural integrity to the assembly. However, the frame assembly of the ""425 Patent is connected together by fasteners such as screws, rivets, glues, and/or crimping. Such fastening and fasteners do not allow for quick connection and disconnection of the various parts of the frame assembly as is required for modem portability. Moreover, attachment of the frame parts using such fasteners can require perfect preconnection alignment of the parts to be aligned as well as usage of tools and costly manufacturing processes.
Other camping apparatus, such as the Camping Apparatus for Van-Type Vehicle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,924, not only clamp on to the vehicle, but they rely upon mating female and male channels and pin fasteners for securement of the mated connections. This type of connection, while potentially requiring less time to connect then the ""425 device, does not allow for less than perfect alignment for connection, nor does this type of connection allow rotation of the connectors during the connection process for allowing ease of connection in less than desirable terrain and circumstance.
Finally, the Quick Connect Coupling of U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,250 discloses a coupling comprising a male and female half that are coupled together in axial alignment. A keying portion is provided at one end of the male half which has at least one keying element with a bearing surface. The female half has an opening located on one side with recesses therein shaped for location of the keying element. The opening allows the keying portion to engage the opening in a direction that is transverse to the aligned axis and the recess has abutment surfaces against which the bearing surfaces locate during engagement of the keying portion within the recess. A locking member and a sleeve are secured to the female half to cover the opening and to secure the male half therein. However, operation of the sleeve and locking member require more than simple axial movement as the ""250 device requires the additional actions of actuating the location pin and rotating and sliding the sleeve and locking member toward the male half In addition the ""250 device requires usage of a female half and a male half in order to make the connection rather than use of a single universal connector. The ""250 device also requires costly manufacturing of the 3-dimensional circular surfaces on the male and female halves and the working parts.
It is therefore important and necessary that a coupling connector be developed that is a single universal connector and provides a quick-release connection that is both easy to engage and simple to operate. The coupling connector would provide ease of connection without requiring perfect alignment, would be structurally strong and sound, and would be rotatable in a 360-degree direction for ease of connection. It is also desirable that the coupling connector be inexpensive, simple to manufacture, require only simple tooling, and be capable of use in the assembly of both stand-alone and supported structures.
Other objects of my invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.
The present invention provides a connector or device for connecting stand-alone and supported structures, such as tents, awnings, walls, and buildings, and provides a method of using the connector for assembling a portable structure. According to the present invention a connector is provided and comprises a coupling comprising a first portion, a second portion that is adjacent the first portion, a top surface, and a bottom planar surface that is located opposite the top surface. The bottom planar surface is continuous through the first portion and the second portion and the top surface is substantially planar through the first portion. However, a key feature of the present invention is that the top surface defines a shape through the second portion that is asymmetrical in two dimensions about a set of perpendicular axes that are centered in the second portion. The shape then can have various shapes, such as sinusoidal, square wave, and raised arcuate shapes.
The present invention also provides a connection system that comprises a pair of mutually compatible couplings. Each coupling comprises a first portion, a second portion that is also adjacent the first portion, a top surface, and a bottom planar surface located opposite the top surface. The bottom planar surface is continuous through the first portion and the second portion and the top surface is substantially planar through the first portion while defining a shape through the second portion that is asymmetrical in two dimensions about a set of perpendicular axes that are centered in the second portion. The couplings can be asymmetrically aligned with one another for removably connecting the couplings and for assembling and disassembling the portable structures.
As for the portable assembly, the present invention provides a portable assembly comprising a plurality of elongated support members and a plurality of block support structures. Each elongated support member comprises opposite ends and a coupling located at each of the opposite ends. Each coupling comprises a first portion, a second portion that is located adjacent the first portion, a top surface, and a bottom planar surface that is located opposite the top surface. The bottom planar surface is continuous through the first portion and the second portion. The top surface is substantially planar through the first portion while defining a shape through the second portion that is asymmetrical in two dimensions about a set of perpendicular axes that are centered in the second portion. The first portion of each coupling of the elongated support members further comprises a sleeve for concentrically enclosing the first portion and the second portion and the sleeve is attached to and actuated by a spring attached to the first portion.
The plurality of block support structures are provided for removable attachment to the plurality of elongated support members. Each block support structure comprises adjacent, mutually perpendicular connection surfaces and at least one coupling rotatably attached to at least one of the adjacent, mutually perpendicular connection surfaces. Each coupling comprises a first portion that is rotatably attached to the corresponding connection surface of the block support structure, a second portion located adjacent the first portion, a top surface, and a bottom planar surface located opposite the top surface. The bottom planar surface is continuous through the first portion and the second portion and the top surface is substantially planar through the first portion while defining a shape through the second portion that is asymmetrical in two dimensions about a set of perpendicular axes that are centered in the second portion. The couplings of the plurality of elongated support members and the plurality of block support structures can be asymmetrically aligned with one another for removably connecting the corresponding couplings and for constructing the portable assembly. The sleeve can concentrically enclose the couplings.
Finally, the present invention also provides a method of assembling a portable structure. The method comprises the acts of: first, providing a plurality of elongated support members with each elongated support member comprising at least one coupling that comprises a first portion having a sleeve, a second portion adjacent the first portion, and a top surface defining a shape through the second portion that is asymmetrical in two dimensions about a set of perpendicular axes centered in the second portion. The sleeve can concentrically enclose the first portion and the second portion. The next act is providing a plurality of block support structures, with each block support structure comprising at least one coupling that comprises a first portion rotatably attached to the corresponding block support structure, a second portion adjacent the first portion, and a top surface defining a shape through the second portion that is asymmetrical in two dimensions about a set of perpendicular axes centered in that second portion. Next is pulling the sleeve and compressing a spring on at least one of the elongated support members for exposing at least the second portion located therein followed by positioning the corresponding exposed second portion of the coupling of the elongated support member adjacent the second portion of the coupling of one of the block support structures. The method continues with rotating the second portion of the coupling of one of the block support structures and asymmetrically aligning the second portion of the block support structure with the exposed second portion of the elongated support member. Then mating the asymmetrically aligned top surfaces of the couplings followed by releasing the sleeve for actuating and releasing the spring. Finally, the method can conclude with concentrically enclosing the first portion and the second portion of the corresponding elongated support member and at least the second portion of the corresponding block support structures for completion of the connection.
In another method of assembling a portable structure, the method comprises the acts of: first, providing a plurality of elongated support members including at least one coupling and a sleeve and then, providing a plurality of block support structures including at least one coupling. Next is pulling the sleeve and compressing a spring on at least one of the elongated support members for exposing a two dimensional asymmetric shaped portion of the coupling located therein. Thereafter is positioning the exposed two dimensional asymmetric shaped portion of the coupling of the elongated support member adjacent a substantially similar two-dimensional asymmetric shaped portion of the coupling of one of the block support structures. The next act is rotating the substantially similar two dimensional asymmetric shaped portion of the coupling of the block support structure and asymmetrically aligning the substantially similar two dimensional asymmetric shaped portion of the block support structure with the exposed two dimensional asymmetric shaped portion of the elongated support member. The method continues with connecting the asymmetrically aligned two dimensional asymmetric shaped portions of the couplings whereafter the act is releasing the sleeve for actuating and releasing the spring. Finally, the method can conclude with concentrically enclosing at least the connected two dimensional asymmetric shaped portions of the corresponding elongated support member and the corresponding block support structures for completion of the connection and for assembling the portable structure. The method also comprises the acts of disassembling the portable structure.
Hence, the present invention provides a coupling connector that is a single universal connector that provides a quick-release connection that is both easy to engage and simple to operate. The coupling connector of the present invention also provides ease of connection without requiring perfect alignment, is structurally strong and sound, and is rotatable in a 360-degree direction for ease of connection. The coupling connector can also be inexpensive, simple to manufacture, require only simple tooling, and can be used in the assembly of both stand-alone and supported structures.